Powell’s side on track for points record despite heavy City defeat
Hope Powell Brighton’s remain on track for their highest ever WSL points total despite a heavy 7-2 defeat at Manchester City.
Albion have one fixture of the league campaign to go as they face Everton at the Broadfield Stadium.
Powell’s team are seventh in the table on 25 points from 21 matches.
Victory could see them move up to sixth, if West Ham lose their final match against Arsenal.
City cruised into a 3-0 lead after just 16 minutes but to their credit, Albion fought back through an Inessa Kaagman penalty and Julia Zigiotti’s second strike in two games.
The Sweden international then had a chance to equalise, only for City keeper Ellie Roebuck to pull off a fine save, so there remained positives for Powell to take from the game.
“It just goes to show the quality City have got, the depth, and we’ve got some work to do if we want to become a top-four team – we know that,” said Powell. “The bottom line is they are far better than where we are at this moment in time.”
“We started poorly for all sorts of reasons, but we then managed to claw our way back and we started to play.
“At 3-0 down it was a case of having nothing to lose and it calmed us down a bit. We scored a penalty, Julia got a really good goal, and she was unlucky not to get an equaliser.
“There were some bits that were good but generally I don’t think we were where we wanted to be today and that’s credit to City.
“When you play a team like that, there’s every possibility if you’re not on your game you’re going to concede, and they showed that today. Unfortunately, they found another gear and punished us, and the result is what it is.”
Zigiotti netted a fine goal, following her effort against Birmingham last week, and Powell was pleased with her contribution.
“That’s the quality she has.
“Credit to [Geummin] Lee, I thought she worked really well to find her, and she took the goal very well, which gave us some belief. She did well today and covered a lot of ground.”
The Albion rearguard was broken on the third minute when Khadija Shaw tucked the ball home. Shaw netted moments later with a close-range shot on the turn.
City made it three soon after through Caroline Weir before
Albion battled back to 3-2 but Shaw netted the hosts’ fourth with her hat-trick and grabbed her fourth just four minutes later.
It was six sixth when Alex Greenwood headed home unmarked from a corner and the seventh arrived as Hemp netted from an acute angle.
Albion: Walsh, Koivisto, Le Tissier, Williams (61 Kerkdijk), Kullberg, Connolly (87 Simpkins), Zigiotti, Kaagman, Green, Lee (87 Symonds), Carter (72 Whelan). Subs not used: Startup, Gibbons, Bowman, Bance.